The new-look Courvoisier VS will hit key markets from this autumn and will debut in the UK, where it is the best-selling Cognac by volume, from this month. Changes have been made to the label design on both the 70cl and 1-litre bottles.

“These changes are important for consistency and to communicate quality and drive value into the category,” said Janice McIntosh, Maxxium’s UK marketing manager for Courvoisier. “They unify the range and reflect the … heritage of Courvoisier by magnifying the association with Napoleon,” she said.

A spokesperson for Courvoisier confirmed to just-drinks yesterday (4 October) that the packaging change was global. Courvoisier’s US-based owner, Beam Global Spirits & Wine, plans to change the packaging on other Courvoisier expressions in 2011.